3 March 2012

I promised one day that I would...

...share my burger recipe with you, well here it is...It originally came home from school with Emily when she was in cookery club a few years ago...but it wasn't written down, it was from her memory! So over the interim period it has developed into the recipe that we use today...which was still not written down until today!!

For Emily's Yummy Burgers you will need:

500g lean mince (we used beef today, but you can use most kinds, see variations after the recipe)1 red onion, very finely diced, softened and left to cool1 egga handful of breadcrumbs, fresh if possiblea squeeze of ketchupjuice of half a lemon1/2 tsp ground coriandera handful of chopped fresh herbs (we used flat leaf parsley and coriander today)Salt and Pepper to season

What you need to do:

Over a very gentle heat, soften the red onion...this means you don't get chunks of raw onion in your mouth as you take a bite...

Then you just put everything else in a big bowl...and give it a great big...

...mix...It's that simple! If your mixture seems a bit wet, just add a few more breadcrumbs.The best way by far is by getting your hands in there, but if you don't like the feel of raw meat you can either put on a pair of CSI gloves (as Nigella calls them!! The disposable kind) or use a wooden spoon!

Then all you have to do is shape them...again a quick tip, have a bowl of cold water next to you, and inbetween each patty you shape, dip your hands in...it stops the meat mix sticking to you! Once they're made put them on a tray of plate (I've used a cookie sheet here) and pop in the fridge for about 30mins to firm them up and set the mix a bit. It will stop them falling apart on the grill.

Tonight we had ours with homemade polenta chips, these were simple to make...I bought a block of ready made polenta (you can make your own and leave it to set if you prefer) and just cut it into 'chip' shapes...

I brushed a baking sheet with olive oil, and then brushed the tops of the chips too...and put them in a hot oven Gas 7 for about 40 mins...about halfway through that time I turned them and sprinkled them with some grated parmesan.

They turned out golden and crispy on the outside and still a bit fluffy on the inside...

The burgers came out well too...I simply grill mine, I brush the tops of the burgers with a bit of oil and cook for about 8 mins each side.

We like to do a bit of a pick and mix burger topping thing so I put out just about everything my lot could want on their burgers and let them do it themselves...

We all tend to have cheese too...mine had emmental, pickles, mayo, ketchup and cucumber on a ciabatta roll...

Alex had ketchup, mayo, pickles and tomato on a white roll!

Whilst Emily had cheese, cucumber, tomato, ketchup and mayo...on a white roll...I didn't get a picture of hubby's he ate it before I could!!

We also had a couscous salad to go with them, which is super easy to make, take 200g couscous add a handful of raisins and a handful of craisins (dried cranberries). Then add 250ml boiling hot chicken stock with a tablespoon of mint jelly stirred into it. Cover with cling film and leave for 10-12 minutes. Once the time is up, open the wrap and using a fork, fluff up the grain s of couscous. Stir through a handful of diced peppers (I used orange tonight) and some finely chopped fresh herbs...I used coriander and flat leaf parsley (leftover from the burger mix!) add the juice of an orange and a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil...give it all another stir and serve...it will serve 4-6 as a side and will keep in the fridge for about 3 days if in a sealed tub...(it's great the next day as a lunch with some chopped up cold meats stirred through or some extra salad veggies!)

I said at the start in the ingredients list about different variations for the burger...I've made a few, minced lamb with fresh mint and mint jelly stirred through (also nice with some tiny cubes of feta mixed in), minced turkey or chicken with Thai style flavourings, ginger, garlic, coriander and chillies...also very nice! A friend of mine likes to use a half and half split, pork and beef mince...so really the mix and match of flavours is there to play around with!! One other thing before I go...this burger base recipe is also good for meatballs, you just need to add some Italian style herbs and you're sorted!

About Me and Contact Details

Hi, My name is Sara, and this blog is my way of giving something back...Its purpose is to share some of my favourite and well-loved recipes, and to take you on my learning journey as I stumble through the ins and outs of learning to sew!